Visual Representations

Visual representations help students develop conceptual understanding and procedural fluency. Teachers incorporate visual representations into their instruction to model new concepts, help students move from concrete to abstract understanding, and provide a strategy for translating word problems into numerical statements. Both teachers and students interact with visual representations, which can include number lines, area models, nets, arrays, and a variety of other visual displays.

Field Guide Alignments: Mathematics, Principle 4, Practice 1; Principle 7, Practices 1-3

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Learn about the strategy

Visual Representations

Online PD module
Developed by AIR, EDC, and CAST

Teaching Math, Grades 6-8:
Representation

Online PD module
Developed by Annenberg Foundation

Learning Together About Visual Representations

Professional development tool
Doing What Works

Assisting Students Struggling With Mathematics: Response to Intervention (RtI) for Elementary and Middle Schools

Practice guide
Developed by Institute of Education Sciences

Learning Mathematics With Virtual Manipulatives

Online article
Developed by Center for Implementing Technology in Education

VIDEOS

See the strategy in action

Visual Representations

Expert guidance
Developed by Doing What Works

Connecting Abstract and Concrete Representations

Overview for teachers
Developed by Doing What Works

What’s Your Sign:
Integer Addition

Demo lessons using number lines
Developed by the Teaching Channel

One Problem,
Many Approaches

Demo lesson using multiple visual representations
Developed by the Teaching Channel

INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS

Use the strategy

Fractions as Numbers

Lesson materials
Developed by AIR

Math Interactives

Online interactive math lessons
Developed by Annenberg Foundation

Solving Equations with Algebra Tiles

Instructions and reproducible templates
Developed by MSMI

Visual Representations: Geometry in Art

6th grade geometry lesson plan
Developed by AIR

National Library of Virtual Manipulatives

Virtual manipulatives online
Developed by Utah State University

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